The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-07-07
Gen. Nichols Course in the
Dark Days Endorsed BY . Demo-
cratic Senate and o Osme-
cratic People.
Cor. Shreyslport Times.


State, finding no vulnerable point of
attack in the record OF Gen. Nichols
as an individual, citizen, soldier,
q statesman, have united in the clam
orous howl that while governor he
appointed some negroes and some
Republicans to Office. There are to
this puny charge two perfect answers:
/. The official journals of tie Sem
ate win show that his appointments
were confirmed by a Democratic Sem
ate, which bore on its roll the names
of such Democrats as Henry Z. Gar
land, F. S. Goode, G. j. Boatner,
Hardy Richardson, Louis Texada,
James B. Eustis, #. p Stubs, DR.. L.
G. Perkins, F. G. Zacharia, a. D. Og-
den, w. A. Robertson, e. ID. White
and others. If Nichols sinned, then
were all of our Democratic State sem
ators sinners. 2. Every true man in
this State knows we'll that the repre-
sentatives of the Democratic party of
Louisiana, pressed, upon the one side,
by q usurpatory State government
backed by the ignorant negro vote,
and on the other by the Federal ad-
ministration, of which Gen. Grant
were the civil as well as military head,
was under the dire necessity Of maxi
ing concessions, and resorting TO ex-
pedients of the character now under
review. What have not our people
been compelled to do in the hope Of
freeing their State and themselves
from the horrors of reconstruction
and the nightmare of Radical domi-
nation?
In 1865 did we not support ]. Mad
ison Wells for governors And in
1868 Judged. g. Taliaferro? In 1877
did the Democratic party not make
an alliance with Gov. Warmoth
We're not Armstead and Sella Martin,
colored men, placed upon the Demo-
cratic ticket and voted fors Did we
not vote for Horace Greedy in 1872,
and in 1873 didn the McEnery Leg
islature, struggling for the existence
of the de jure State government, elect
GEN. w. T.. Mcmillan, Radical Re
publican, to the United States Senates
Have not our people, in their efforts
to control their local affairs, been
forced time and again to make comb
nations in local elections with the ne
gro voters? In the bitterness of our
distress, what have we not done, and
Ijustifably done, to rescue ourselves
from the CALLING yoke of our oppres-
sors? The very men who are now
bowling themselves hoarse with these
charges at Francis T. Nichols, that
heroic man, who was the first TO
break the power Of Radical Republi-
can rule in Louisiana, and deliver his
people from the bondage they were
in from 1867 to 1877, know full well
these historic facts, and that the
whole body of the white people of the
State had assisted in all of the combi-
nations above referred to, in the hope
of deliverance.
| And in 1877, after the Nichols gov
eminent had wrestled the Supreme
Court from Packard, and we were go
| ing through that period of fearful sus-
pense, imposed by President Grant
upon both the rival claimants for con-
troll of the State government, when
Packards Legislature was daily as
sembled at the regular Legislative
ball, and the Nichols Legislature ct
another place in New Orleans, who
does not know that the question be-
CAM one of endurance on the one
hand, and Of disintegration on the
other, and that, in consequence, the
whole issue depended upon the Mich
oils government being able to draw
from Packard, members of the Legis-
lature who had been elected, and also
were adhering to the Packard gov
eminent?
| Who does not remember the thrill
OF delight that swept over our State
when Pinchback and 7. T. Allan, and
other representative colored men in
and out Of the Legislature abandon
ed Packard and joined the people UNI
der Governor Nichols? Who does
not remember the exultation Of ali
our people, when Allan and Pinch
back, at the grandest mass meeting
ever held in New Orleans, spoke from
the same platform at Lafayette square
with Thomas j.. Semmes and Judge
Charles E. Fenner in support Of the
Democratic government headed BY
Governor Nichclls?
| And il, in recognition Of these SER
vices of colored Republicans, Gov.
Nichols, by and with theadvice and
consent Of q Democratic Senate, con-
Tered appointments at that time and
under those circumstances upon q few
men Of this class, that action met the
approval Of thu true men Of the
State as being eminently wise, just
and proper.
| But this fair minded State admin